Warby Parker Opening Party in San Francisco

Here are some pics I snapped at the Warby Parker opening party in San Francisco. The edited down version, along with a funny story about perfect vision by Anthology magazine's creative director, Meg, is on the Anthology magazine blog. Aside from the neat stacks of color coded books on display and the rad glasses available for trying on, my favorite part of the store is the artwork on the walls by one of my faves, Lab Partners (Theo's room houses two of our favorite prints from them).

Love the new store and everything Warby Parker, especially my Laurel glasses in Tea Rose Fade and Nick's Roosevelt frames - both Lucas approved!

Favorites: New Tea Collection

I've been a longtime fan of Tea Collection even before I had kids. Their globally inspired collections are unique, well made, great for layering, locally designed (yay for San Francisco!), made from soft cotton, and just all-around awesome and versatile. Lucas and Theo's wardrobe consists of many Tea Collection hand-me-downs from the neighbors' kids, who are now 7 and 9 -- a testament to their quality as well as timeless designs.

When Tea Collection asked me to choose two outfits for Lucas and Theo from their new collection inspired by their expeditions in India, it was so hard to narrow down my choices. For Lucas, I chose the Jagathi Reversible Tee to pair with the French Terry Moto Pants in Coal (he already has the French Terry Playwear Pants which he loves). For Theo, I also chose the French Terry Moto Pants but in Bedford Blue along with the Patchwork Skateboard Graphic Tee. I ordered the pants in size 5 for Lucas and size 3 for Theo, both of which were a bit large on my skinny minnie boys, but they still loved them and will be able to grow into them.

+ All photos by me / product shots above by Tea Collection
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Favorites: Iddy Biddy

When I found out I was pregnant with my first boy, I heard stuff like, "Oh, get ready for lots of climbing, running, chasing after him" and "you'll definitely have your hands full." Well, guess what? Now I have TWO of those! Lucas is definitely more active than Theo, but there have been times when they've run in opposite directions when I needed them to stay put. Can't say I wasn't warned!

Needless to say, when it comes to dressing my boys, their clothes need to be comfortable and able to withstand a bit of wear and tear. Enter Iddy Biddy, a small company that creates cool & comfy knits for the modern day babe/kiddo, created by two hard working mamas in the fashion industry. When they sent Lucas and Theo these cute leggings, I couldn't have been more excited to test drive them out.

Made of cotton jersey with quality sewing, the prints are fun and modern (stripes and camo!) and have held up to Lucas and Theo's active lifestyles, even after several washes. Most of Iddy Biddy's current fabric offering is made from thicker weight cotton, with a few patterns in  lighter weight (such as the camo print). All of the samples I received had plenty of stretch for comfort while providing a slimmer/skinnier look. Currently all of their fabric is locally sourced and hand made in San Francisco.

Getting them to sit still for this photo shoot was a challenge. But I think all the movement made for some interesting angles (had no idea Lucas could do a hand stand) and really showed how well the leggings fit and moved with their bodies. And thanks to my husband Nick who kept the tickles and giggles going for our shoot.

We decided to take the boys and their new pants to "the forest" (aka Christmas tree shopping). What better way to test the quality of the pants than to have the boys weave through needles of giant noble firs.

Iddy Biddy is currently working on their Etsy shop that will go live in January. They will carry skinny leggings, harem/drop crotch leggings, slouchy beanies/infant knotted beanies, and knotted and turban headbands. They will be diversifying their assortment in mid 2015 to include graphic tees and more. For sizing they offer 2T, 3T, & 4T (just for reference, Lucas wore a 4T and Theo wore a 3T) and run a bit slimmer than brands like Gap and Old Navy which is awesome for my skinny minnies! For updates on what's new and to see other cute kiddos sporting Iddy Biddy, check out their Instagram feed @iddy_biddy_baby.

+ All photos by me
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Favorites: Kids Toys/Gift Guide

When it comes to toys, we have everything in our house from quality wooden American made toys, to metal tractors from Nick's toddler days, to commercialized Spider-Man figurines made in China. Here are some of our very favorites that keep Lucas and Theo (and their friends both boys and girls) super busy and happy (think hours of unsupervised fun!). Many of these were gifts to us and we are always recommending them to friends or giving them as gifts.

1 /  BluTrack 18' Starter Set - This is the most popular toy in our house. Engages kids of all ages and it teaches them physics, I promise!

2 /  B. Pop Arty Beads - Lucas and Theo spend quite a long time making necklaces, bracelets, and other trinkets. Great because they can take it apart and make something new. Also excellent for fine motor skills. Just watch for small pieces.

3 /  Grimms Large Wooden Conical Stacking Tower - The kids (mostly Theo) still play with this one. Big pluses: made from sustainably harvested natural alder wood, the sides of the rings are flat so you could roll them, can be stacked in any order, and looks pretty on the shelf!

4 /  Vilac House of Balls - Most kids are drawn to this toy at house. Theo loves watching the balls zig zag down and ring the bell at the end.

5 /  Modern-Twist Placemat - We love these coloring placemats and use them for every meal. Super easy to clean and helps the kids stay seated at the table (about half the time at least).

6 /  Kinetic Sand - I had no idea this existed until we got them as gifts. It's incredible how you can pack it, squeeze it, and shape it. I love watching the boys create things over and over again (construction sites, buried treasure, food molds) without the mess of real sand in the house.

7 /  Little Sapling Toys Rainbow Stacking Stacking Nesting Toy - This well designed wooden toy not only looks beautiful on the shelf, but Lucas and Theo still play with this all the time. While Theo loves to stack them, Lucas loves to make ramps (using the BluTrack) or pretend they're boats, tunnels, or bridges.

8 /  Battat Garbage Truck - This was Lucas' favorite gift from his 2nd birthday (can we say obsessed?). They both love pushing it down the hallway and jamming as much stuff into the back as possible.

9 /  Janod Robots Chunky Puzzle - Brightly colored, wooden puzzle is super cute and great for teaching object orientation, fine motor skills, and creative play. Plus, who doesn't love robots?

10 /  Munchie Mug - Okay, not technically a toy, but this is one of my all time favorite kid products. It's spill resistant (don't you hate it when your child puts their hand into a snack bin and everything comes out including the top?), easy for little hands to grip, a snap to wash, free of lead, BPA, phthalate, and latex, and made in the USA.

11 /  Oeuf Gold Crown - Also not technically a toy, but I love all things Oeuf, and this crown has been in our family since before Lucas was born. The kids wear the crown every birthday -- it's kind of a little tradition over here (not sure what I'm going to do when their heads get too big!). See the crown in action on Theo from his second birthday.

DIY Kids Project: Hand Carved Stamps

My final guest post on Oh So Beautiful Paper is about a fun DIY project from my friend Sally J. Shim's new book Pretty Packages (published by Chronicle Books). Admittedly, I am not the best packager/gift wrapper, but this book makes it fun and easy -- many of the projects are kid-friendly too which is a huge bonus in my book.

I chose to make the Hand Carved Stamps project using Lucas' name. He wrote his name, I carved it out, and then he went to town stamping all over kraft butcher paper to wrap a gift for his friend's birthday. We had so much fun doing this project together.

Lucas was so funny -- every time he would stamp his name he would say, "And I present you......" and gesture with his hand to show me his stamped name. Hilariously cute.

I love how proud he is of himself!

We even tried hot pink and neon yellow for fun! After letting the sheets dry we wrapped some gifts for friends.

Thanks for the inspiration, Sally! Check out my guest post and full instructions on Oh So Beautiful Paper. And thanks so much to Nole for having me guest post while she's on maternity leave.

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Book Review: Playful: Fun Projects to Make With + For Kids

I was given the opportunity to review the new book PLAYFUL: Fun Projects to Make With + For Kids by Merrilee Liddiard (love her blog Mer Mag) and photographed by Nicole Hill Gerulat. And guess what? Today is the book release! The cover and all the images/styling are super cute and the projects look so creative and relatively easy. You can order it right now on Amazon.

I appreciate that PLAYFUL is divided into five categories—Playful Dress Up, Playful Toys, Playful Paper Crafts, Playful Repurposing, and Playful Art. It makes it easier to flip to the section you want to craft. Some of the fun projects I could do with Lucas and Theo include a squiggle floor tile project, fingerprint art, duct tape portfolio (to hold all of Lucas' drawings!), and my favorite, the animal art print pillow. Some of these projects require basic sewing skills (I have zero) so I may have to enlist my mom for some help. Templates for the projects are included at the back of the book with step-by-step instructions.

I would recommend this book if you want to get extra creative with the crafting. It's a great resource for adults and kids to make something fun together and then let the kids' creativity take over.

Happy crafting! Wish I could go to the launch party!

+ Top photo by me
+ Other photos courtesy of Abrams Books (photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat)
+ Find me on Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Happy Weekend and a Birthday Party Sneak Peek

Happy weekend friends! This week went by so quickly and now my little baby is 2. What?!? We celebrated his birthday last weekend with a little party at our home. It was so much fun but I'm so glad it's over! Lucas is helping Theo open one present each day, which really means Lucas is helping Lucas open one present each day. Theo is more excited about the boxes and ribbon!

Here are just a couple of pics from Theo's party. Stay tuned for more pictures of the invitations and details of the food-themed second birthday party.

What are you up to this weekend?

+ Images by me via Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Favorites: Children's Books

I must admit that I read way more books to Lucas when he was Theo's age than I do now to Theo (I'm tellin' you, the second one gets the shaft!). I took Lucas to the library, read during meal times, and had lots of quiet reading time. Poor Theo. But now that he is way more interested in books, I find myself reading a lot more to both kids at the same time and they're pretty into it. Here's a list of our current favorites. Theo especially loves Mr. Tiger Goes Wild (says, "Tiga!!!"), Stuck (says, "Duck!!!"), and Not a Box (I think I'll wait on getting him Not a Stick since he's still pronouncing the letter "s" like a letter "d"). Ha!

Favorite Children's Books
// 1. Mr. Tiger Goes Wild
// 2. Along a Long Road
// 3. For Just One Day
// 4. Where's Walrus?
// 5. Rapido's Next Stop
// 6. Not a Box
// 7. Stuck
// 8. Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever
// 9. 365 Penguins

What are your favorites that I need to know about?

Favorites: Instagram Finds No. 2

I Iove photography and I love food so these Instagram finds are all about gorgeous food photography. There are so many more I want to share with you but I'll have to save that for another post. Who are some of your favorite food photographers on Instagram?

// 1. Super talented photographer/friend who shoots everything brilliantly. Following Eva is a MUST. I was lucky enough to be shot by her in this series @evakolenko
// 2. Plenty of gorgeous food and travel shots @dicanelo
// 3. Beautiful wooden spoons, bowls, and food @nikoleherriott
// 4. Los Angeles photographer takes gorgeous food pics from his phone and shares his photo tips here @rick_poon
// 5. A fairly recent discovery, Molly Yeh is a baker and a musician who takes beautiful food photos on her blog and has the most creative recipes @mollyyeh
// 6. Beautiful editorial and commercial photography focusing on food. Also coming out with Wild Apple magazine dedicated to gluten-free cuisine @taradonnephoto
// 7. Natural foods that are healthy, tasty, and beautifully shot @jodiwhatscookin
// 8. A long time favorite of mine. Plus all gluten-free recipes! @canellevanille
// 9. One of my very favorite Instagrammers for food porn. So well styled, moody, perfectly imperfect @linda_lomelino

+ See my Instagram Finds No. 1
+ You can see more of my pics on the VSCO Grid.

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Favorites: Shed

A couple of weeks ago I went on a much needed girls trip (sans kids!) to Healdsburg, CA to celebrate the very belated birthday of my friend Meg. The funniest thing about this trip was that we all kept going back to this amazing store/cafe/restaurant/gardening shop called Shed. I've never seen anything like it -- from the tiles around the cafe bar to the perfect open kitchen (seriously, my dream kitchen) to the expertly curated finds around the shop, this place was a total dream. I couldn't stop taking pictures with my phone and I'm sharing many of them right here.

The weeks leading up to this day were pretty challenging in the parenting-of-an-almost-four-year-old department. Knowing full well that all the testing (of my patience) was developmentally appropriate, I was still at my wits end. So this trip was very much needed. I loved catching up with good friends Carrie, Jacinta, Nancy, and Meg and sharing stories over delicious savory and sweet treats, coffee, and ice cream. By the way, things are a thousand times better thanks in part to the best extra deep tissue massage I've ever had at Spa Dolce by Michelle, and a little refresher of The Happiest Toddler on the Block.

+ All photos by me via iPhone 5

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